Overview of reprocessing and waste management in the Federal Republic of Germany

The past 10 years saw in 1979 a decisive turning point for back-end fuel cycle policy in the Federal Republic, when the Lower Saxony State Government decided that the planned integrated back-end fuel cycle center was politically not feasible. However, the agreement between the Heads of Federal and States' Governments in the same year envisaged the possibility of tackling nuclear waste disposal nevertheless as a joint goal. This arrangement modified the ''integrated back-end fuel cycle center'' to become an ''integrated back-end fuel cycle concept''. This concept envisages the possibility of implementing individual fuel cycle services of the center at different locations. In 1979 the following decirIons were taken: 1. Extension of the storage capacities for spent fuel elements at reactor sites and construction and operation of away from reactor storage facilities as soon as possible. 2. Site selection for a reprocessing facility until 1985, operation before 2000. 3. Evaluation of the feasibility of the Gorleben salt dome for disposal of all types of radioactive wastes until 1990, operation of a repository until 2000. 4. Assessment of the feasibility and safety-related aspects of direct disposal of spent fuel unit 1985